Automobile.



m. 700,|75. Patented May 20, I902. c. GOTTA.

AUTOMOBILE.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 700,175. Patented May'20, I902.

O. OOTTA'.

AUTOMOBILE.

. (Application filed Oct. 6, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

I 1 6 JY 7; y

No. 700,|75. Patented May 20, I902.

' '0. GOTTA.

' AUTOMOBILE.

(Application filed. Oct. 6, 1900.)

(N6 Model.) 4 Sheeis-Sheet 4.

UNITED STATES] P TE T OFFICE.

. CHARLES GOTTA, OF sHAnNoN, ILLINOIS,

, AUTOMOBILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Tatent No 7oo,i75 aated-Ma 20, 1902.

- Applioation file d October 5,1906- T0 aZZ whom it mag concern:

zen of the United States of'America, residing" at Shannon, in the'county of Carroll and State of Illinois, have inventedcertainnew and useful Improvements in Autom'obiles, of which the following is a specificationl' I My invention relates 'to" certain improvements in automobiles, and has to do particularly with the running-gear, the devices for transmitting the power from the motor thereto, and the devices for steering and controlling the vehicle.

To such end the invention consists in various novel characteristics, the nature of which will appear from the description of a complete machine, and the essential features will be pointed out'in' theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure'l is a side elevationof a complete vehicle with a portion of .the

. body cutaway toreveal parts within the same.

Fig. 2'is'a plan ofthe running-gear; Fig. 3 1s a transverse vertical section in'line 3 3 of Fig. 2 lookingin the direction of the arrow 3. Fig. 4' isa transverse vertical section in line Lof Fig. 2plooking in 'thedi-rection of the arrow- 4 in said Fig." 2. Fig. 5 is a longi tudinal vertical section taken in the line 5 5' of'Fig; 4"looking'in the direction of. the-arrow 5 of said figurei Fig. 6 is a skeleton'side] elevation of the steeringQde-vices and other portions connectedtherewith. Fig. 7 is a detail verticallongitudinalse'ction in line 7 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail horizontal section in 1ine'8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical transversesection in line 9 9 of Fig.2. Fig. 10 is a section in line 10 10 of Fig. 9 looking in the direction ofthe arrow 10, and Fig. 11 is a section in line 11 11 of Fig. 10.

Referrin'g'to the drawings, A represents the body of the vehicle; B B B 13 the wheels O, the frame of the runningear,consisting of axles c c 0 0 Fig. 2, upon-Which are bearin g blocks '0 c c 0 supporting the springs D,

which carry the body. Themiddleportio-ns nected to the opposite ends of the rear axle and-has projecting from its forward middle portion a spindle e, pivoted in the middlc por Serial in. 32,11i. (1% model.)

1 tion'eofthe loop 03,- givingthe front axle free- Be it known that I, CHARLES COT-TA, a Cltldom 1 to oscillate vertically'upon this spindlel Upon the end of each axle is secured a collar F, from the top and bottom of which projecttwo diverging arms ff', in which are threaded cones f f ,'upon which is pivoted an oscillating ring G,containing cups 9 g, adapted, together with the cones, to provide races for antifriction-balls g The outer surface of the edges of the oscillating ring are provided with cones g 9 and a hub H is provided with cups h h, between which and the cones g g are embraced antifriction-balls 712 721 This bearing gives the hub a free rotary movement about the oscillating ring and also freedom of oscillation, together with the arm g connectedwith the steering apparatus,

as'will be described hereinafter, and fromthe outer edge of fthe hub extends an inwardlycurved web hi, terminating in two ears it 72.

perforated'at'lfl h; which are connected'to a driving-shaft Iby means of-univers'al joints.

The 'shaft is j ournaled in thea'xle, which is preferably hollow, by means ofb'earings, and hasupon its hnb end a collar I,- forked to afford two projecting arms Lor ears I? I disposed'at right anglesto those of the hub. A

1 pivot-bl'ockJ i is pivo ted'both to the collar and to the hubs Said'block is providedwith a series'of radial 'cha'nnels'J'and a central stud J A washer J 3 is provided with corresponding channels and is secured to the block by means of a nut J the two channels are held pivot-pins J 5 J the pivot-pins J entering f the hub iand the pivot-pins J 6 enteringthe collar onthe shaft. The pivot-pins themselves "are perforatedlto receive pins J7, which fit into sockets J 8 in the block and J 9 inthe'washefr to prevent the Withdrawal of the pins from-th'e'sockets. The collaris shown as secured to the'ends of the shaft by means ofa pinI. On the inner end of each one of the axles is secured a sprocketwheel .1 all four sprocket-wheel's being geared by means of chains K to sprockets M M M M upon a'main driving-shaft M jour naledin brackets M secured to the body be- In the sockets made by too low the bottom of the latter. The sprocketwheels are loose upon the main driving-shaft, and the opposite ends of the latter have fast upon it two brake-wheels N N, the brakewheel N being between the sprocket-wheels M M and the brake-wheel N being between the sprocket-wheels M M. Each brake-wheel carries three bevel-pinions an n journaled radially with respect to the wheel and meshing with bevel-gears m upon the adjacent faces of the sprocket-wheels. Said brakewheels also have comparatively wide rims 01 with outwardly-projecting side flanges or a between which is embraced a brake-strap N, to be referred to later. The main shaft M is divided in the middle to form end portions 171. m and carries upon opposite sides of the dividing plane two fast bevel-gears M M between which is arranged a loose sprocketwheel N Said sprocket-wheel carries three radially-journaled bevel-pinions n, in mesh with the bevel-gears M M and is adapted for attachment to a suitable motor.

Turning to the curved arm 9 upon the oscillating rings G, said arms on the front axle are connected by a cross-rod O and those upon the rear axle by a cross-rod O, the middle portion of each of the said rods being provided with a gudgeon 0, upon which is pivoted one end of a link 0 the other end of which is pivoted to a depending arm 0', secured to a rock-shaft O", pivoted in brackets o 0 secured to the body of the vehicle. Upon the intermediate portion of the rock-shaft is secured an upwardly-projecting arm 0, and on one side of said arm the shaft is divided at 0 and the adjacent ends pivoted in brackets 0 Between said brackets the portion of the shaft indicated by the letter O has fastened upon its end a disk 0 perforated to receive pins 0 0 secured in a sliding collar 0 feathered to the portion of the shaft marked 0. On the end of the portion 0 of the shaft is fastened a disk 0*, also perforated to receive the pins 0 0 These pins lock the two portions of the shaft together, and the sliding collar is provided with another pin 0, adapted to enter a hole 0 in the bracket 0 to lock the portion 0 of the shaft to the body. When thus locked, the two wheels to which this portion is connected are fixed, as upon a rigid axle, and the guiding of the vehicle is efiected by the wheels at the other end of the said vehicle.

Returning to the vertical arm 0 on the rockshaft, the same is connected, by means of a link 1), with a horizontally-swinging arm 19, secured to an upright hollow post 19 journaled in bearings 13 19 secured to the body and connected, by means of an oblique brace pgwith a horizontal extension 11 at the upper end, which terminates in a vertical fork, composed of the upper branch 19 and the lower branch 1). In the lower arm of the fork is pivoted the lower end of a lever p", provided at its upper end with a handle P and below the handle with a detent p, engaging teeth p" upon the upper arm 11 of the fork. A handle P provides means for disengaging the detent, and a spring 19, confined between the detent-handle and the lever-handle, tends to keep the detent in engagement with the teeth. The upper arm 19 of the fork is curved to form a segment, the center of which is at the pivotal point of the lever. To the lever, between the handle and the pivot, is pivoted a sliding rod q, the other end of which is pivoted to one end of the head of a T-shaped lever q, the shank g of which is pivoted to the brace p and the other end of the head of which is pivoted to a Vertically-slidin g rod q, said rod being pivoted at its lower end to a. vertically-oscillating brake-lever q, a spring (1 confined between the end of the brake-1ever and a nut q, cushioning the upward pull of the rod upon the brake-lever. The brakelever is forked to provide two arms g (1 pivoted between their ends respectively to brackets q q, secured to the brackets M Arod q" connects the ends of the fork, and the brakestraps N are secured to this bar, extend around the brake-wheels, and have their other ends fastened to blocks q, also supported by. the brackets M carrying the main driving. shaft. The upward pull of the verticallysliding rod caused by the movement of the handle P away from the vertical post tightens the brake-strap upon the brake-wheel, and the reverse movement loosens it up sufficiently to release the brake. The horizontal oscillation of the handle P turns the wheels of the loo vehicle to guide the same, so that both the guiding and stopping of the vehicle are effected through the same device. Upon the vertically-sliding rod is secured a collar, to which is fastened a vertical rod q, pivoted at IO 5 its upper end to the handle 4' of a valve R, which represents the controlling device for the motor, whatever the latter may be, said controlling device being operated by the vertical movement of the rod which operates the 1 to brake and being so adjusted as to shut off the power prior to the application of the brake and turn it on subsequent to the release of the latter.

Looking at Figs. 1, 2, and 3, downwardlyprojecting studs 8 will be seen secured to the loop-shaped portions of the axle, which have pivoted upon their lower ends vertically-oscillating spring-arms T, carrying two idle sprockets 25 t, the sprocket if being journaled in the end of the arm and resting upon the top of the upper chain, and the sprocket t being journaled in the middle portion of the arm and bearing upon the under side of the lower portion of the chain. The distance be- :2 5 tween the two sprockets is so proportioned to the other parts that the spring-arm is bent and tends to draw the two portions of the chain together in its effort to straighten itself. This device is intended to take up any slack x30 in the chain due to the vertical movement of the body upon the running-gear or to any other cause.

The invention is not limited tothe exact details of construction described, inasmuch as more or less variation is possible without departing from the essential features thereof.

ljclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a vehicle, the combination with a suitable running-gear, of an axle, a bearingring vertically pivoted upon the axle, a wheel journaled upon the bearing-ring and having a portion extending within the same, a driving-shaft and a universal joint connecting the driving-shaft to the hub within the ring concentric with the wheel and substantially in the pivotal axis of the ring; substantially as described.

2. The combination with an axle, a bearing-ring diametrically pivoted to the axle, the hub, H journaled upon the bearing-ring, and having the inwardly-curvedweb, 7z ,the shaft, I, journaled in the axle and having the forked collar, 1, and the bearing-block, J, in the pivotal axis of the ring and the center of the hub, said block being provided with pivotpins pivoted to the hub and collar respectively at right angles to each other, with a washer for clamping said pins in place and means for securing the washer tightly upon said pins; substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a four-wheeled vehicle, of a suitable framework, front and rear wheels, devices for turning both front and rear wheels with relation to the frame-' work to steer the vehicle and means for disengaging one set of wheels from the steering devices and engaging them with other portions of thevehicle, so as to prevent their oscillation with respect to the vehicle; substantially as described.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with the body, and front and rear wheels, adapted to be operated to steer the vehicle, of the rockshaft, 0 connected at'its respective ends to the front and rear wheels and-provided with a clutch adapted to engage that-portion of the shaft which is connected to one set of wheels, alternately with the other portion and with the vehicle and steering devices connected with said other portion and adapted to rock the shaft; substantially as described.

5. In a driving-gear for a four-wheeled vehicle, the combination with adivided driving-sha'ft,'of a loosedriving-wheel at the point of division, radially-journaled pinions in said driving-wheels, gears secured tothe= two portions of the shaft and meshing with said pinions, brake-wheels upon Y the respec-' tive portions of the shaft containing radial pinions, loose gears upon the opposite sides of said brake-wheels, meshing with the pinions in the latter, suitable connectionsbetween said loose gears and the respective four wheels of the vehicle and suitable brakes applied to the brake-wheels; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Shannon, in the county of Carroll and State of Illinois, this 27th day of September, A. D. 1900.

, GEORGE T. SHERWOOD, I

CHARLES SPATZ. 

